A silent vigil was held on Ripon Market Square this morning at which a group of campaigners called for an immediate ceasefire in the war between Israel and Hamas.

The situation in Palestine has deteriorated since October 7, when Hamas invaded Israeli villages over the border from Gaza and killed an estimated 1,200 people and took more than 200 hostages. It is estimated that more than 12,000 Palestinians – the majority of them women and children – have died in Israeli attacks since then.

Vigil organiser Andy Croft (pictured centre in our photograph) told the Stray Ferret:

“We are not taking sides and are carrying the flags of both Israel and Palestine, as we call on the UK government and opposition to support the growing call for an immediate ceasefire.

“Too many people have already died and it is heartbreaking to hear about the civilian casualties and see television pictures of tiny babies having to be moved from intensive care incubators because the hospital that they were in no longer has the electricity to power them.”

Mr Croft added:

“We have decided to hold a weekly half hour silent vigil by the obelisk at 10am each Monday until there is a ceasefire and are holding it in Ripon so that local residents who want to join the ceasefire call don’t need to travel to Leeds or York.

“Before organising the event, we sought and received approval from North Yorkshire Police and North Yorkshire Council and also liaised with Ripon City Council.”

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Twin sisters at Harrogate Ladies’ College are celebrating top A level grades today – from their home in Ukraine.

Diana and Sofiia Shypovych, from Cherkasy in Central Ukraine, achieved A*A*A* and A*A*A respectively.

The sisters arrived at Harrogate Ladies’ College to study as boarding pupils in September 2021. But just a few months later, Russia invaded Ukraine and the girls found themselves unable to return home to their parents.

Sofiia said she was delighted with her results:

“I am so happy about my results – and I am so grateful to my school for supporting me through the last two years. It was difficult being away from my family, but school actively promotes inclusion, diversity and being yourself. That really helped me.”

Diana added:

“University will be our next exciting chapter. Despite everything that has been happening in Ukraine, school has given me and my sister the confidence to mature into independent adults through the opportunities, challenges and freedoms it has offered. Living at school showed us the importance of contributing to the community and respecting our shared responsibilities.”

Following the invasion of their country, both sisters ran campaigns in Harrogate to fundraise for Ukrainians and helped Ukrainian families on the Homes for Ukraine scheme to settle into the community. They were also voted by their fellow pupils and teachers to be prefects at the school during their time in the sixth form.

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Sylvia Brett, principal of Harrogate Ladies’ College, paid tribute to the sisters’ hard-working ethos and commitment to school life against the backdrop of war in their home country. She said:

“We’re incredibly proud of all of our pupils, but Sofiia and Diana deserve special recognition for the circumstances under which they’ve been studying for the last two years. Being here at the time of the outbreak of the war and knowing their family and friends were facing real dangers, was extraordinarily hard for the girls but they never lost focus on their studies or their optimism for the future.

“They are truly remarkable young women who always looked out for others in school and organised events such as the Ukraine Cultural Day to help us all understand and support their country.”

The sisters chose to return to Ukraine after finishing their exams this summer to await their results with their family and friends, despite ongoing security concerns. Cherkasy lies 200km south-east of Kyiv and the region is still frequently subjected to missile attack by Russia.

Speaking from Ukraine, the girls’ mother, Iana Shypovych, said she was thrilled by their results:

“When our then 16-year old daughters left Ukraine to study in Harrogate we were a little worried about how they would adapt to living so far away from home, but our concerns never came true. When the war broke out we were truly grateful that they were safe and being cared for. They were so warmly welcomed and supported by the school staff and the people of Harrogate.”

Harrogate Ladies’ College achieved 41% A*-A grades across the board – a 17% increase on the comparable figures from 2019.

Some 1,267 Ukrainians have made North Yorkshire their home since the start of the Russian invasion last year, according to figures.

Ukrainian families fleeing war have found places to live through the government’s Homes for Ukraine scheme with UK sponsors agreeing to house refugees for a minimum of six months.

North Yorkshire Council’s Conservative executive member for corporate services, Cllr David Chance, revealed how many Ukrainians have been supported through the scheme in an update to councillors this week.

Cllr Chance said that at the end of March 2023, the number of Ukrainians residing in North Yorkshire was 733.

In addition, 554 people who initially arrived in North Yorkshire have either moved on to live in independent accommodation, relocated to another council area or have returned to Ukraine, making up 1,287 arrivals since the scheme began in March 2022.

Over the winter, the council increased the ‘thank you’ payments for sponsors from £350 to £500 a month and this will be extended until October 2023 when it will again be reviewed.

To help new arrivals settle in, the council also has two dedicated employment advisors who work with Ukrainian residents to help them find training and apply for jobs.

Nationally, over 117,000 Ukrainians have moved to the UK through the resettlement scheme.

New housing in Harrogate

In March, it was confirmed that the council will spend £2m buying 19 homes for Ukrainians in the Harrogate district.

A report said: 

“Harrogate has a long and proud history of welcoming those fleeing violence and oppression in their home countries. In the past, this has included Belgium victims of the First World War and Jewish people escaping the Nazis.”

The money will come from the Local Authority Housing Fund, which is a £500m grant fund launched by the government so English councils can provide housing for those unable to find accommodation.

In recent months, there have been increasing reports of Ukrainians families struggling to find their own accommodation after leaving the sponsorship programme.

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The Stray Ferret Business Awards, sponsored by Prosperis, will be held on March 9 at the Pavilions of Harrogate. Early bird tickets are available until February 9. The event will celebrate success and business excellence across the Harrogate district. It’s a night not to be missed! There’ll be a fabulous prize draw for all attending and Richard Flinton, the incoming Chief Executive of North Yorkshire Council, is guest speaker. 

Global hair and beauty brand, Cloud Nine, has opened two new studios at its Harrogate headquarters, bringing all previously outsourced photo and video shoots in-house.

The beauty company says the aim of the new studio is to develop the creative, commercial and media skills of its team.

The hair and skin stylist area has mirrors and lights with different coloured walls to suit models with different skin tones. There’s also a Green Room designed for the models and guests to relax in before and after each shoot.

CEO Martin Rae, who launched the business with his brother, Gavin, in 2009, said:

“We have created our own studios for two very good reasons. The first is we have a fantastically talented team based within our Harrogate headquarters, who are eager to create their own campaigns, from inception through to execution”.

“And secondly, harnessing the artistic skills of our own people makes perfect business sense, and will benefit us commercially”.

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Knaresborough business group supports Ukraine

A lorry full of of medical equipment, blankets and warm clothing, supplied Knaresborough charity PhysioNet and the town’s Rotary Club, is due to arrive in Ukraine today.

The lorry left Knaresborough five days ago and has made its way to Zaporizhzhia in the South East of Ukraine.

Knaresborough Rotary President and Chairman of Physionet, David Kaye, said:

“This is the sixth PhysioNet consignment for Ukraine. The £6,000 transport costs have been paid for entirely by Rotary in Yorkshire”.

PhysioNet was founded in 2005 by Knaresborough Rotarian Peter Thompson.

It collects and refurbishes discarded mobility and physiotherapy equipment – including wheelchairs, Zimmer frames, crutches and walking sticks – and redistributes it for use by the disabled in developing countries.

PhysioNet and Rotary volunteers gave up their Saturday morning to load the lorry for Zaporizhzhia.

Images of death and destruction in Ukraine remain fresh in the mind of Ripon man Lewis Edwards.

Now he is expressing his feelings through art, to help him come to terms with the terrifying turmoil of the Russian invasion that turned his life and the lives of millions of others, upside down.

Mr Edwards, a former student of Ripon Grammar School who studied contemporary art at Leeds Met (now Leeds Beckett University), has created paintings on a series of panels. They provide an insight into the impact the war has had on the people of Ukraine, as well as the Russian army.

He told the Stray Ferret:

“When I arrived back in the UK with my partner, Tanya, earlier this year, I went through the process of thinking about what happened to us and what we witnessed as we fled to the safety of Slovakia.

“I then decided to turn these thoughts into paintings, including one that I have called Still (a) Life which tells the story of our rapid departure from our home, with food left uneaten on our table.”

Minska Metro

Another canvas captures scenes from the Minska Metro in Kyiv, where Mr Edwards and his Ukrainian partner stayed on the eve of their perilous 500-kilometre journey to Slovakia.

Once they were safely over the border, they set up a shelter to help fellow refugees. The humanitarian venture was made possible through £20,000 raised in Ripon from charity events and a GoFundMe page set up by the Edwards family.

Mr Edwards is planning to exhibit his work and has already made arrangements for the paintings to go on show at the Slung Low community arts hub in Leeds.

He said:

“I would very much like to put on an exhibition in the Ripon area if I can find a suitable location.”

Mr Edwards can be contacted via his Instagram account eye.fly.art